Burden but entertain it chearfully with God-praising hearts 'T is true tho' Old Age be a rich Blessing of God in it self as is largely demonstrated before and yet is called an Evil Age for Reasons afore-named Notwithstanding God hath not left it comfortless as 't is said John 14.18 But the Spirit who is the Comforter hath left upon Scripture-Record so many Cordials as are truly Soveraign against all the Evils that attend it insomuch as Old Age may be an easie Age a calm and quiet Harbour if Youth hath done it no disservice in filling its bones with the sins of Youth before-hand and if Intemperance which is like the Thief in the Candle wasting it away hath not weakned its Head or Feet c. In this case Old Age hath cause to complain of the evil of the Man and not the Man to murmure at the Evils of Old Age. Thus Old Job oft complains of the Misery of his Old Age saying Lord thou changest our Countenances and sendest us away Job 14.20 and many myriads of such Sighs too long to relate do ever and anon issue out of his Mouth And he himself tells us the ground of all his grief was that God made him to possess the sins of his Youth Job 13.26 therefore says he thou writest bitter things against me c. Thus likewise Old David complained I am become like a Bottle in the Smoak Psal 119.83 and much more in many other Psalms c. which drove him to groan out that Petition Lord remember not against me the Transgressions of my Youth for thy tender Mercies have been of old c. Psal 25.6,7 Both those Instances were Holy Persons who after those and many more such Complaints were both of them comforted by the God of all Comforts 2 Cor. 1.3 and had their Old Age marvelously sweetned to them and had their best Wine at the last both those Good Men had remembred their Creator in the days of their Youth Eccles 12.1 and tho' their Youth-Time had been a very rough Voyage through a surging stormy Sea yet their last Years were their best Years as it was to Good Old Jacob who after a long Life of manifold Miseries did enjoy seventeen Years of sweet Tranquility and Comfort c. But alas this Mercy can never be expected by those who never had God neither in their Heads Psal 10.4 nor in their Hearts Psal 14.1 nor in their Words Psal 12.4 no nor in their Works Tit. 1.16 and such as drive a Through-Trade all their Lives in Weaving the Web of Wickedness having been twice dipped in the Devils Dye-Tub as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Scarlet Sins doth sigâ—ie namely in the Wool of their Youth and in the Web of their Elder Years those can never expect any comfort in Old Age. Pliny tells us Serpens Serpentem devorans fit Draco as that Serpent which commonly devoureth other Serpents becomes to be a Dragon at last So a long swallower of many Sins becomes at the length a most Monstrous Sinner c. that Old and true saying that if Persons prove not Fair at twenty Strong at thirty Wise at forto Rich at fifty and Religious at sixty Years of Age such will never prove either Fair or Strong or Wise or Wealthy or Holy Ones all the days of their Lives This ancient Adage holds a most apt congruity with that saying of Solomon such as seek me early shall find me Prov. 8.17 Whereas the Habitual Sinner to whom God hath given the Space of Repentance many times but never the Grace of it Rev. 2.21,23 leads the Life of sin Thoughts beget Delight Delight begets Consent Consent begets Action Action begets Custom and lastly Custom begets Necessity so that he brings himself under a Law of an unavoidable Sinning against his maker and as David tells Saul wickedness proceedeth from the wicked as naturally as Water from the Fountain 1 Sam. 24.13 Satan is not satisfied to have Men Sinners only but he will have them also to abound in sin and to be like the Crocodile that grows while it lives in growing greater and grosser Sinners to the end of their Lives Alas this is but the laying of a bad and not a good foundation for the time to come As we are commanded to lay up a better store against Old Age and Death and to lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6.19 NB. Note well Our Lord tells Peter what Miseries he should meet withal when he came to be Old John 21.18 He had the manner of his Death foretold him that he should glorifie God by Martyrdom ver 19. and observe what an holy Improvement he made of this Precaution he had made his Solemn Appeal to an All-knowing Lord saying thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee ver 17. and to testifie his Love to his Lord in feeding his Lambs he wrote those two famous Epistles General to the Churches of Christ and in the latter of them he saith I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance c. Yea I think it meet while I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up c. knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me 2 Pet. 1.12,13,14,15 He knew that his Tent or Tabernacle must soon be taken down his Earthly House as Paul who was a Tent-maker calls the Body a Tent 2 Cor. 5.1 So both these two great Apostles did truly and duly endeavour to magnifie and to glorifie Christ both in Life and at Death John 21.19 and Phil. 1.20 Thus both Peter the Elder and Paul the Aged as they stile themselves 1 Pet. 5.1 and Phil. ver 9. were well in-laid and fortified before-hand to undergo the Evils that attended them both in their Old Age c. May we but get Hearts to own God while we are Young then God will not forget us but own us when Old and as our days are so shall our strength be Deut. 33.25 Now more particularly the Comforts against the Evils of Old Age are First That then the Law of our Members cannot so easily lead us into captivity unto sin Rom. 7.23 as formerly in the Heat and Vanity of our Youth Indeed the Witty Fable runs thus Cupid that Pagan God of Love and Mors that is Death happened to meet together and to lodge all Night both of them in one and the same Inn but in the Morning they chanced to mistake each others Quivers filled with Darts Hereupon Cupid after this shot the frozen Darts of Death at many Young People in their briskest time of their Loving and Lusting whereby many Young Gallants and Tempting Ladies were brought unto an untimely Death c. But on the contrary Mors did shoot the Fiery Darts of Cupid at the Aged Persons who in the Course of Nature were hastening to the Grave and hereby arose that wantonness of Old People for Marriage c. by which means it may be said as
Earth Reason the Third The very Name and Nature of Saintship or Christianity is to be found in this Duty of Watching for Saints are called the Children not of the Night which is the proper time of sleeping but of the light and of the day which is the appointed season for Watching Walking and Working 1 Thes 5.5,6,7 Such as are quickned by the Grace of Christ Ephes 2.1 and are awaked out of the sleep and State of sin Ephes 5.14 never after this can sleep the sleep of Death Psal 13.3 The Spouse of Christ did indeed sleep when she should have been upon her watch but her heart was then awake so that she could tell all those Titles of Love verbatim word for word that her beloved Lord had saluted her with even while she was in her half-sleep she aggravates the foulness of her fault for her refusing such sweet embraces offered them to her Cant. 5.2,4,5 And the five wise Virgins indeed nodded and napped a little they slumbred but they did not sleep as the five foolish Virgins did for it was only by Candle-light their Lamps were still burning and they had Oil in their Vessels as well as in their Lamps Matth. 25.4,5 c. The conclusion of that Parable is Watch therefore for ye know not when the Lord will come ver 13. Thus the choicest and chiefest Saints may sometimes be taken napping yet the hidden man of the heart as the phrase is 1 Pet. 3.4 is still kept awake in them as it was with the Spouse above The Fourth Reason for our Watching is drawn from several Emblems of this Duty c. First the Hare and the Lion are given by the learned Criticks as the two Hieoroglificks or Representations and Resemblances of true Christians because Naturalists do observe that those two Animals always sleep with their Eyes wide open c. Thus likewise Secondly The Modern Jews use to sacrifice a white Cock upon New Years Day whose intrails they ordain a Raven to fly away with into the Fields and then to devour them c. This is another Emblem of Christian Vigilancy and in this History there is this Mystery the Cock is known to be the most watchful creature and therefore the Cock crowing gives a denomination to the third part of the Night in Sacred Scripture Evening Midnight Cock-crow and Morning Mar. 13.35 and so is a fit Resemblance of the watchful Christian and yet the more fit insomuch as the Sacrifice must be a white Cock to represent how Christians are washed white in the Blood of Christ Rev. 7.14 And there is congruity in the parallel of the Raven flying away with the white Cock's Intrails likewise for one of the Spouses commendable Characters of her Beloved is His locks are bushy and black as a Raven Cant. 5.11 Thus Christ is the mystical Raven that flies away with the infirmities and sins of every watchful white-washed Christian c. Christ is the true Antitype of that Typical Scape-goat that did carry away all the Iniquities Transgressions and Sins of Israel into the Land of everlasting forgetfulness Lev. 16.21 They shall all be blotted out Isa 43.25 and none of them remembred any more Heb. 8.12 Now having answered the first inquiry in shewing the Reasons why we ought all to be watchful ones The Second Inquiry is what is this kind of Watching which our Lord doth command us to be found in Answer There be three Kinds or Sorts of Watching The 1 st is that which is Corporeal Watching or that of the Body which is in some cases highly commendable as in those Shepherds that brought tidings of Christ's Birth Luk. 2.8,9,10 c. They were not only Vigilantes but also were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they abode in the field keeping watch over their Flock by Night Tho' they had but sorry Lodging there yet had they a most Curious Canopy over their Heads to wit the Heavens or stately Firmament most richly bespangled with glittering and glorious Stars nor was this all the blessing that those Bodily Watchers had but they were near a better Blessing even that Glorious Angel Gabriel appeared to them only and not to any of the great men of Jerusalem c. no nor to either of those good men Zechary or Simeon c. with these glad Tidings of the Birth of the Worlds Redeemer c. Therefore these Pastors or Shepherds of whom it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 custodiebant custodias they watched their Flocks Luke 2.8 may be a blessed Pattern for all good Pastors or Gospel Ministers to take heed of their Ministry which they have received in the Lord that they fulfil it Col. 4.17 The Angel Gabriel may the sooner appear to them as this Corporeal or Bodily Watching was thus richly rewarded in those watchful Shepherds so the want of this first kind of watching was sharply rebuked by our Lord Jesus saying to his sleepy and slippery Disciples What cannot ye watch with me so much as one hour Matt. 26.40 The Second Sort of Watching is Diabolical as the Wicked watcheth the Righteous Psal 37.32 of this David often complaineth how they every day wrested his words Psal 56.5 And thus they watched our dear Lord of whom David was both Father and Figure as we read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mark 3.2 These wicked ones lay catching and carping at his words as the Greek word signifies and that other Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used in Luke 14.1 intimates that they pryed as narrowly into Christ's Actions as ever Laban did into Jacob's Stuff for his Teraphims Gen. 31.33,34 Thus Saul sent his Spies to watch David 1 Sam. 19.11 to kill him Thus was it the sad complaint of the Prophet Jeremy all my Familiars watched for my Halting c. Jer. 20.10 This is a watching that hath the Devil for its Father as John 8.44 begotten upon a depraved Spirit which lusteth to envy Jam. 4.5 as upon the Mother of it God bless us from this c. But the Third kind of Watching is that which is truly Divine and Spiritual and which is not born of the Flesh but of the Spirit John 3.6 and therefore this third sort is not Carnal much less Diabolical or Devilish but it is born from Heaven and is an effectual means to help us to Heaven if we live out our Lives in a careful and conscientious obedience to this great Command of our Lord Christ saying watch Matth. 24.42 and 26.41 Mark 13. last and Luke 12.37,38,43 c. The Third Inquiry is What is this true Christian Vigilancy or Spiritual Watching Christ requireth here Answer It is in short Christian Prudence vigorously actuated or the actual and lively exercise of that Divine Wisdom which the Lord graciously grants to such as are made wise to Salvation 2 Tim. 3.15 In those and those only is found a cautelous care and a very wary watchful attention to heed and observe all such matters as our Lord and Maker biddeth to be well
Metaphor is Tsaba warfare 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sept. Job 4.1 because man's life is exposed to Pirates as before Now if our life be a warfare 't is well known how Soldiers have their time of fighting and their time of resting according to the Commands of their Captain General They must obey his Order for both falling on and for falling back as he pleaseth stat pro Ratione Voluntas his Will is a Law to them And thus every good Soldier of Jesus Christ as Timothy is called 2 Tim. 2.3 must be willing either to Act or to Rest according to the Commands of the Captain of our Salvation as Christ is called Heb. 2.10 whether private Christian or publick Minister we must all resign up our Wills into his Will as we read in Ecclesiastick History of a famous Minister called Martinus who being by the Lord seized upon with Sickness 't is recorded how he prayed Decumbens dico Domine si adhuc populo tuo sim necessarius laborem tuum non recuso c. that is Lord serve thy self of me for thy Service is sweet to me if thou hast no more Service to command me then O Father into thy Hands I commend my Spirit c. This was piously spoken yet Old Simeon as we read Luke 2.29,30 spake better saying Lord now let thou thy Servant depart in peace Now this good Old Man having laid in his Heart what he lapt in his Arms the most blessed Armful that he ever met with even the Beautiful Babe of Bethlehâ—m he then sung the nunc Dimittas so called even his Soul out of his Body saying I fear no Sin I dread no Death I have lived enough I have my Life I have long'd enough I have my Love I have seen enough I have my Light I have served enough I have my satisfaction I have sorrowed enough I have my consolation even the consolation of Israel whom I and other Believers have long waited for ver 25. even the Messiah that Menachem or Comforter mentioned Lam. 1 16. and yet singing farther Oh sweet Babe let this Psalm serve for a Lullaby to thee and for a Funeral for me Oh sleep in my Arms and let me sleep in thy Peace All this sweet Song Simeon concludes with the procuring cause of his Sacred Musick saying for mine Eyes have seen thy Salvation This was his great satisfaction that he had accomplished his Service to his Most Honourable Lord and Master who had employ'd him all his Life in most Honourable Work and who he was assured was going to pay him most Honourable Wages seeing he had got his Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Heart as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Hand as 't is said of the Blessed Virgin who therefore is said to rejoice Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 danced a Gallyard and to magnifie the Lord her Saviour as well as ours Luke 1.47 But far above those two Instances aforesaid to wit Ancient Martinus and the good Old Man Simeon our sinless Saviour saith best of all concerning himself in his last Prayer before his Death saying Mine Hour is now come O Father Glorifie thy Son c. I have Glorified thee on Earth I have finished the Work thou gavest me to do and now O Father Glorifie me with thy Self that is my Manhood with the same Glory which my Godhead had before the World was made John 17.1,4,5 c. Our Lord did not did not ask his Wages before his Work was done his Time was now come and he was now Ripe and Ready to be gone into his Fathers Kingdom This holy practice of our precious Redeemer is left upon Record on purpose for our instruction and comfort Rom. 15.4 that it may be a Pattern to avoid that precipitancy which prevailed over those two famous Prophets men of God Elijah and Jonah who both of them in a strong Pang of Passion desired to Die before their Hour of Dying was come and therefore are we told that these great Servants of God were subject to the like Passions as we are Acts 14.15 Jam. 5.17 It is a sinful desire for any who would be gone to Heaven before their Work be done on Earth we must rather say O Father if thou hast any further Service for me to do I am willing to live longer c. the Will of the Lord be done Acts 21.14 Having thus far discoursed upon the first Accident of Old Age after its Nature namely the Quantity or Measure of it which we have observed to be Uncertain and Various either long or short according to the Statute-law of the great Law-giver the Lord of Lords c. who hath appointed all men once to die c. Heb. 9.27 even Methusalem who was the longest liver upon Scripture-record and who came the nearest to be a Thousand Years Old which is reckoned a number of perfection never attained to by any mere man Tho' he lived many Hundred Years even near to a Thousand and begat Sons and Daughters yet he died at the last see my first Volume of the History and Mystery of the Holy Scriptures of Him at large Now I come to the Second Accident of Old Age to wit the Quality or Manner of it which is either Good or Evil. Concerning the first How it is a good Old Age in its own Nature and by God's blessing upon it I have already demonstrated in the foregoing Discourse and I do design to enlarge much more upon that Point when I arrive at the Third Part after its Nature and Accidents to declare the Dues to and the Duties of Aged Ones whereby Old Age may become good indeed Now as touching the latter of these two That Old Age is an Evil Age that Senium Malum convertuntur These two are convertible Terms Solomon the Wise doth sufficiently evince and evidence in his saying Oh Young Ones remember your Creator before Evil Days come and the Years draw nigh wherein you shall say I have no pleasure in them Eccles 12.1 Wherein he begins to describe First The wearisom evils of Old Age from the latter end of ver 1. to the last end of ver 6. Then Secondly Of the evils of Death ver 7. both which he brings in as two strong motives to urge Young ones to be mindful of their Duty For First in the General All Authors both those that be Civil as well as those that be Sacred do unanimously concur in this point That Old Age and Misery are very seldom found separated As 1. Plutarch saith Senectus ut Africa semper aliquid Novi adportat as Affrica is never without some Monster so Old Age is never without some Ailment 2 Cato saith Solet Senectus esse Deformis Infirma Obliviosa Edulenta Lucrosa Indocilis Molesta that is Old Age useth to be Deformed Feeble Forgetful Toothless Covetous Unteachable and Unquiet 3. Horace saith Multa Senem circumveniunt Incommoda Many are the Inconveniencies that do encompass Old Persons
salvation of our Souls 1 Pet. 1.4,5,9 Insomuch that Death which is in it self no other than Nature's Divorce the Bodies Prison the Soul's Banishment the Arrest of Judgment the Curse of Sin and the King of Terrors as well as the Terror of Kings Job 18.14 unto all Mankind in General yet such a change doth the power of Godliness both in Young and Old that are chosen and called make in their Changes from one World to another that their Death's is only their 1. Harvest or Ingatherings into God's Garner c. 2 'T is the Joy of Marriage which is called a Rest in the House of the Husband Ruth 3.1 so Death is our Rest A Rest from their Labours Rev. 14.13 they shall Rest 1 st From their Labours of Necessity their Needs of Nature shall then cease for ever they shall Hunger no more they shall Thirst no more c. as they have done while in the Body 2 dly They shall Rest from their Labours of Infirmity they shall never complain of any more Aches and Pains in any one of the parts of the Body as they have done frequently heretofore in the time of their Mortality 3 dly From the Labours of their Callings c. they shall toil no more in the Sweats of either their Brows or their Brains c. And 4 thly Which is above all they shall Rest from their Labours of Iniquity a Laboribus Peccati as well as Officii they shall never sin any more whereas heretofore in the time of their sojourning upon Earth they had this weight upon them which they could never lay aside nor cast it off and sin did then easily beset them so that they could not run the Race that was set before them Heb. 12.1 Because of the Law of the Members that did continually war against the Law of their Minds and oft bringing them into Captivity yea and as oft making them to cry out Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me c. Rom. 7.23,24 But now Christ is come to them and knock'd off all their Fetters which formerly clogg'd them c. and setteth them at perfect liberty Isai 61.1 and those whom the Son of God doth free they are free indeed John 8.36 3. Death to those that die in the Lord and in a Good Old Age also is not only the Christians Harvest Marriage and Rest as before but 't is likewise their Conquest over all their Spiritual Enemies so they have also the Joy of Victory as well as of Harvest of Marriage and of Rest They are become by their Holy Life and Happy Death more than Conquerors Rom. 8.37 even Triumphers in Christ 2 Cor. 2.14 and so as they have won the Crown of Glory by their overcoming the Wicked one through the strengthning Love of Christ upon them so they shall wear it as Kings Rev. 1.6 and as Conquerors for evermore 'T is said the last Enemy to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 Now to all true Believers Death is already swallowed up in Victory ver 55. as Fuel is swallowed up by the Fire and as the Sorcerers Serpents were swallowed up by Moses his Serpent so that they can say to Death when it comes to them as Jacob said to Esau surely I have seen thy Face as the Face of God Gen. 33.4,10 Thus that Esau Death doth meet a Member of Christ with Kissing rather than with Killing or so much as Frowns yea and guards him home to his Father's House as Esau guarded his Brother Jacob Home to Canaan after his long absence from it he went before Jacob as his Life-guard ver 12. Thus after a long Conflict by the Indwellings of Sin all our Life comes the Conquest at the last in our Death Alas we cannot beat sin out of Doors as Sarah did the Bond-woman Hagar but this Fretting Leprosie sin can never be either washed out or scraped off from the Walls of our Earthly Tabernacles until the House that is infected with that Plague be demolished by Death and the Stones and Timber thereof be altogether taken down As it was thus in the Type under the Law concerning the House of Leprosie Levit. 14.43,44 So it is with our Houses of Clay as the Antitype which can no way be Amended but must be Renewed and this is only done in part while we are in the Kingdom of Grace But this cleansing Work is compleatly perfected when Death gives us a dismission from hence into the Kingdom of Glory The belief of this made Old Simeon sing his Soul out of his Body and Paul the Aged Phil. v. 9. was not only a Conqueror but which was more even a Triumpher in Christ as before for he sang a Triumphant Song over Death and the Grave singing as well as saying Oh Death where is thy Sing and Oh Grave where is thy Victory 1 Cor 15.55 This is the boldest and the bravest Challenge that ever any Mortal Man did ring in the Ears of Death in which words he as it were out-braved it calling it Craven to its Face as the Vulgar saying is and bids it do its worst to him that it could do like the Philosopher Anaxarchus who with an undaunted Courage told the Tyrant who was beating his Body to pieces with a great Iron Pestle in a large Mortar made purposely for that Barbarous Butchery in the very Act of his Martyrdom he most confidently cryed out to his Tormentor Tunde Tunde Tyranne Vasculum frangis sed Anaxarchum non Laedis Beat on beat on thou Bruitish Tyrant thou indeed doth break the Vessel of the Man but thou can never hurt Anaxarchus the Man himself Much more might this blessed Apostle insult over this greatest of Tyrants that universal Destroyer of Mankind to wit Death with his Javelin in his hand seeing he was so able as to render such weighty Reasons for his Triumphing Insultation as he saith the Sting of Death is Sin c. ver 56. signifying hereby that our dear Redeemer had been the Death of Death by his Death Mors Mortis Morti Mortem quoque Morte dedisset The Death of Christ gave Death its Death as it was prophesied of him Oh Death I will be thy Death c. Hos 13.14 thus our Saviour did disarm Death and took out the Sting from this Venemous Serpent so that we may now as safely put Death into our Bosoms in a serious Meditation of dying Daily as some men whom I have seen have with enough of safety put into their Bosoms a Snake whose Sting was before pulled out If Death do now shoot out any Sting at us we may thank our selves for our not being more constantly sound in the way of Righteousness If at any time we turn aside to crâ—…ked Paths there will the old crooked Serpent meet us and he will not only sting us there but also leave his Sting behind him in us as the Bee doth to those that are stung by it and this may be the procuring Cause of many sad effects
kindest Candour to them seeing I find willingness of Spirit so far as you are renewed in the Inner-man by the Law of the Mind I will either strengthen you against the weakness of the Flesh or I will pardon it and not only so but I will accept of your willingness to Watch and Pray wherein your unrenewed part by the Law of your Members doth discover so much weakness Thus our Lord excuseth their frailties of Flesh whereof he minds them lest they should presume yet he most graciously owns and acknowledges the Bent of their Spirits lest they should despair The purpose of our Hearts must be to cleave unto the Lord Acts 11.23 and because we cannot duly perform it for we cannot serve the Lord without Distraction 1 Cor. 7.35 Therefore we ought to pray with David Lord unite my heart to serve thee Psal 86.11 For a loose Heart that is not tied fast to God can never abide at the Mark but will start aside like a deceitful Bow Psal 78.57 and Hos 7.16 Alas never did the unruly Bullock stand in more need to be bound fast with Cords to the Horns of the Altar Psal 118.27 than our Hearts do to be bound fast to God with the golden Cords of Christ's Love in our Communion with him And thus our Lord speaketh With everlasting kindness have I drawn thee Jer. 31.3 And I drew them with the Cords of a or suitable to a Man even with Bands of Love Hos 11.4 Whereas God had complained of his People a little before this that their hearts were divided Hos 10.2 because Anima dispersa fit minor saith the Philosopher when the Soul is dispersed among various Objects it is thereby much weakened in its Actings Whereas on the other hand Vis unita est fortior an Heart united and firmly fixed to God as David's Phrase is is thereby so strengthened as to cleave close to the Lord for he is our Life and the Length of our Days Deut. 30.20 Oh! happy are such Souls that can carry on their Communion with God be able to say My heart is fixed as David saith three several times Psal 57.7 and 108.1 and 112.7 Yea and can drive away wandring Thoughts in the Worship of God as Abraham drove away the Fowls which did disturb him in his sacrificing Work Gen. 15.11 And likewise can answer distracting Fancies as Nehemiah did his Adversaries I am about a great Work and cannot attend you why should God's Work cease whilst I leave it and come down to you Neh. 6.3 'T is observable that Honey while it is boiling hot will not be blown upon by any filthy Flies nor would our Hearts be fly-blown by Beelzebub the Prince of Flies as the Name signifies If we could but keep them in a fervent Frame enditing good Matter as David did his heart Psal 45.1 Hebr. Margent God commands us to be fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12.11 or we cannot keep in Communion with God but neither this Work nor any other can we do by any strength of our own yet may we be able to do all the Works of a Christian through Christ the stronger Man that strengthens us Phil. 4.13 The Seventh and last Case of Difficulty in which the Redeemer strengthens his Redeemed with a conquering Power is in making their Passage forward and their Progress perfect through the wayless and waterless Wilderness of this present evil World so called Gal. 1.4 even into the Heavenly Canaan yea and home to their Father's House 'T was God's Command say to the Children of Israel that they go forward c. Exod. 14.15,16 Though there be a Red-Sea before and an Enemy behind and mighty Mountains round about yet was there no cause of fear because Christ in the Cloudy-Pillar went along with them and was present both in the Van and in the Rear The same Office of Love doth the strengthening Presence of Christ do still unto all the true Israel of God This is shewed in Hosea 11.1,2,3,4 where Ephraim the Child the Lord taught him to go or as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Septuagint word there signifies to pace leaving his natural Trot in ways of Sin intimating how God put him as it were into the Traces as Horse-Masters do young Colts to teach them to Pace c. So God doth here taking the Child Ephraim by the Arms c. Where beside that notable Notion of teaching to Pace or Amble from the Greek Version the Hebrew Text represents Christ as a Nurse bearing the Nursling by the Arms whereby she supports the weight of his Body then she teaches him how to move his Legs forward step by step Thus our Lord is said to guide our feet in the way of Peace Luke 1.79 He doth strengthen our feeble Knees drawing us fortiter tamen suaviter strongly yet sweetly through the Quagmires of Crosses by the Cords of a Man Hos 11.4 that is he Drags us not along like Beasts but he draws us gently endways by Means and Motives suitable to the rational Nature of Man even with Bands of Love irresistibly by the effectual workings of his Holy Spirit which he hath promised to bestow upon us John 6.44 and 12.32 and which the Spouse prayed for when she found some Back-biasses that made her hang backward in her Progress toward Heaven Cant. 1.4 Oh blessed are they whose strength is in the Lord they pass on from strength to strength Psal 84.5,7 and grow stronger and stronger Job 17.9 Such do pass from Mithcah to Cashnonah Numb 33.29 that is from Sweetness unto Swiftness as those two Hebrew names do signify They lift up their feet and walk lustily towards Canaan as Jacob did after his refreshing Bait of the Ladder at Bethel Gen. 28.12 c. with 29.1 Margent Oh! happy is that Man whose right hand the Lord upholdeth in his whole Work as he did for Cyrus Isa 45.1 though Abraham knew not whither he went Hebr. 11.8 yet he well knew with whom he went for he walked with God as a Child in a Fathers hand who hath promised to save to the utmost Heb. 7.25 The Second Enquiry is What Conditions doth our strong Redeemer require of his Redeemed that he may cause them to become Conquerors c. Answer The Conditions are Twofold 1 st We must keep constantly in God's Arms c. And 2 dly We must wholly put on God's Armour First On the 1 st of these briefly we must keep constantly in God's Arms for the Eternal God is our Refuge and his Everlasting Arms must be underneath us Deut. 33.27 God tells us that our Hearts are weak Ezek. 16.30 And David from his sense hereof crieth Have mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak Psalm 6.2 And hereupon it is the Churches Prayer Lord be thou our Arm every Morning Isa 33.2 otherwise we shall do nothing but stumble and fall like weak Children that love not to keep constantly in their Fathers Arms but will presumptuously be venturing to go alone and
into the image of sin he cannot do wickedly with both hands earnestly Mic. 7.3 he is not past feeling to work all uncleanness with greediness for he hath not so learned Christ Ephes 4.19,20 Sin cannot carry it away without some Counter-Buffs So 't is farther said We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not to wit that sin unto Death the unpardonable sin no not other sins as other Sinners that are the Slaves of Satan but he keepeth himself so as that the wicked one cannot touch him that is with any of his deadly touches He cannot thrust in his venemous Sting so far as to destroy the Seed of God in him that is begotten of God as he doth into the very Spirits of those called the Serpents Seed even the World that lieth in wickedness 1 John 5.18,19 with ver 16. From whence we may argue and upon better grounds than that Pagan Dame before-named did that if the Seed of God be in us if we be begotten and born of God none of those Principalities and Powers of Hell nor any of those Rulers of the Darkness of this World nor any Spiritual Wickedness in high places as the phrase is Ephes 6.12 shall ever be able to prevail against us but they shall surely fall before us They may indeed sometimes in case of some Divine Desertion put us foully to the Foil but they can never give us a total and a final Fall for God so puts his fear into the hearts of his Covenanted People that they shall not depart from him but he will cause them to fear him for ever Jer. 32.39,40,41 for here lies the Riches of the Covenant of Grace that tho' for some glorious ends of unsearchable Divine Wisdom it sometimes doth permit a fall even in the choicest and chiefest of the Favourites of Heaven yet it always doth ensure Repentance after the Fall as it was in the case both of David and Peter they both did fall foully but neither of them did fall finally they both got up again by the helping hand of their Heavenly Father And this may be a little illustrated by the example afore-named of Mordecai and Haman If a Jew fall before a Persian as Mordecai did before Haman yet may he get up again and prevail as did Mordecai against Haman but if a Persian or any Gentile doth but begin to fall before a Jew he shall not be able to stop from falling down nor to rise up again as did Haman before Mordecai he did fall to the lowest and utmost ebb of disgrace and misery yea and tho' he was advanced on high upon the highest Gallows that we read or hear of which he had erected for the Jew Mordecai yet he did most fatally fall into the bottomless Pit of Hell also to be an eternal Companion with proud Lucifer and his faln Angels c. All this may afford matter of great encouragement to us in our Christian Warfare that the Seed of God in us will spring up gradually notwithstanding the many bitter Blasts of Hail and Snow that fall upon it and will in due season bring fortn a most happy Harvest as Psal 126.5,6 but we must be careful to war this good warfare 1 Tim. 1.18 and fight this good fight of Faith 1 Tim. 6.12 both in God's Arms which makes our Bow to abide in strength Gen. 49.24 and which strengthens us with a kind of omnipotency in doing all things Phil. 4.13 yea and in God's Armour also Ephes 6.12 to 19. whereby we may be able not only to stand our ground but also to quench all the fiery Darts of the Devil yea and if we resist him stedfast in the Faith we shall put him to the flight and win the Day and so wear the Crown of Conquerors Jam. 4.7 1 Pet. 5.8,9 Let us all along observe the Apostle's Rule Whatsoever we do in Word and Deed let all be done in the Name of the Lord Jesus Col. 3.17 David acknowledges it was by God's strength and not by his own c. In all those fore-named places of the Psalms and in 2 Sam. 22.30,33,34,35,36,37 c. wherein he saith that God was his strength and that girded him with strength so to rout the Ranks of his Enemies and so to beat them down that they could never rise up any more c. and this was when he hurl'd as it were the force of God himself at the Face of great Goliah he ascribes all the Glory both of his Valour and of his Victory unto God's strength and not unto his own c. The 4 th Character of a Conqueror is to take the Conquered captive and to clap them up close Prisoners as Joshuah did with his five conquered Kings shutting them up in the Cave at Makedah and rolling great Stones to the Mouth of the Cave that they might be kept there close Prisoners until the time of their execution Josh 10.18 and when he brought them to be executed he made his Captains to set their Feet upon the Necks of those five Kings and then he hanged them up upon five Trees ver 24 26 c. Even so our Joshuah or Jesus doth all those Offices of Love for us as that Joshuah did for Israel our Lord ascendeth up on high he leadeth captivity Captive c. Psal 68.18 and Ephes 4.8 and then he saith afterward as for those my Enemies that would not have me to reign over them bring them forth and slay them before me Luke 19.27 This phrase of leading captivity captive is an allusion to the Roman Conquerors who rode through the City Rome up to the Capitol in their Triumphant Chariots leading their conquered Captives all along with their Hands bound behind them to be disposed of afterwards according to the pleasure of the Conqueror either to present Death or to perpetual Imprisonment Thus likewise our Lord who rideth on Conquering and to Conquer upon the white Horse of the Gospel Rev. 6.2 doth lead Captivity Captive that is those Spiritual Enemies that formerly did captivate us Our Lord doth now through grace captivate them and they are principally Three which make up this Captivity that our Lord leads Captive for us The First is the Flesh whereof Paul complaineth that the Law of the Members did not only war against the Law of his Mind but it also brought him into Captivity to the Law of Sin and made him cry out Oh wretched man c. yet did he look through this Black Cloud at Christ his Deliverer Rom. 7.23,24,25 as it is said If we be in Christ and he in us then have we crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.24 When Christ came into the World it was our sins that crucified Christ and so when Christ comes into our Hearts he likewise crucifies our sinful Flesh in us as the body of sin did crucifie Christ so Christ doth crucifie the body of sin Now to crucifie is not to kill outright at one blow but it is to put to
The Seventh Character of a Conqueror is to put his Laws upon the Conquered according to his will and pleasure as Jehoshaphat and Jehoram did by the assistance of Elisha who said to them this is but a light thing with the Lord to give you Water in your want but he will deliver the Moabites into your hands 2 Kings 3.17,18 but ye shall smite every fenced City and shall fell every good Tree and stop all Wells of Water and mar Hebr. grieve every good piece of Land with Stones as if it were a grief to any good Soil to become useless and unfruitful ver 19. all this was done to Moab ver 24 25. Thus also if we be Conquerors we must endeavour to batter down all the strong holds of Satan in us with Sling-stones as was the custom of that time which is now done by mighty Bullets out of the Mouths of great Cannons The Slingers went about Kirhareseth and broke down only the Towers of it this was the will and pleasure of the Conqueror not quite to demolish the Walls of it as he did the other Cities It were well if we could sling such smooth Stones as David did at Goliah's Head especially such of the Holy Scriptures as our Mistical David did at the Devils Head Matth. 4.3,7,10 So ought we to sling such Stones at the Tempter that we may knock down the Turrets of Pride and Presumption c. which Glory is our Shame Phil. 3.19 This we must do at the least tho' we cannot quite demolish the Walls and Foundation Oh that we could go thus far and Oh that we could with those Conquerors of Israel cut down every tall Tree which are of the Devil 's planting and watering that bring forth only wild and sower Grapes paltry Hedge fruit as Crabs and such Trash in us and Oh that we could mar or grieve every piece of Terra Diaboli the Devil's Land in us as one part of America is called which bears no Fruit but the unfruitful works of Darkness so called Ephes 5.11 And Oh that it were a grief to us as before to become useless and unfruitful in our Places and Stations Oh that we could mar or grieve every inordinate Affection in us which do mar or grieve our pretious Souls Yet farther Oh that we could likewise stop up every Well of Water namely all those filthy Issues of Sin which nothing can heal us of save only a believing Touch of our dear Lord Jesus Matth. 9.20 And yet a little higher Oh that we could sow those Lands we have already conquered out of the hand of the Strong Man by the helping hand of the Stronger Man our pretious Redeemer our Goel with no other thing but Salt as Abimelech did Judg. 9.45 the City of Sechem which he not only pulled down but he also sowed it with Salt as a token of its utter extirpation This was the custom of Conquerors which they used against Cities of greatest provocation and affronts to them because Salt is taken in Scripture not only for a Sign but also for a Cause of Barrenness Gen. 19.26 Deut. 29.23 Judg. 9.45 Psal 107.34 and Zeph. 2.9 for Salt made the Land in those hot and dry Countries utterly barren and desolate when it was sown upon it as nothing but Nettles and Salt-pits were found in Moab when it was devoted to perpetual Desolation And thus it is with all Spiritual Conquerors through Christ's love to them and his strength in them they pray to the Lord that all their fleshly Lusts which war against their Souls 1 Pet. 2.11 may even every one the best beloved of them may be put to death as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 8.13 signifies In order hereunto when those Spiritual Enemies have received their Mortal Wound whereof they must die tho' it be of a long lingering death like those People that die of Consumptions and this Deadly Wound is always given to them at our first Conversion yet all along if we be right Conquerors in Christ we must still pray to the Lord that the Deadly Wound then given may never be healed any more as that was which the Apocaliptick Beast had gotten and was healed again Rev. 13.3 Our earnest Petition to the Lord must be that he may put rhe same Curse upon our Lusts which he put upon the fruitless Fig-tree saying Let no Fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever and immediately the Fig-tree withered away Matth. 21.19 at which his Disciples marvelled c. ver 20. Accordingly we should desire an everlasting Barrenness may come upon those wild Olive Trees our fleshly Lusts so called Rom. 11.24 wild by Nature yea and upon that Root of Bitterness to wit original Concupiscence which springeth up too too often to trouble us Heb. 12.15 We must beg hard of the Lord that all these sinful Soils may be sowed with Salt even to a perpetual Destruction that we may learn in Christ's School to deny all Ungodliness and worldly Lusts which is the negative part of a Christian and likewise to live soberly as to our selves justly as to all men and holily as to the great God in this present World Tit. 2.12 This is the positive part of a Christian where Note well that three Adverbs Sobre Juste Pie do much exceed the three Adjectives Sobrius Justus Pius for in those latter are included only Acts of Grace but in the former are included the Habits of Grace for it is not one single Act or two but a constant Habit of Grace notwithstanding some interruptions in our way that gives the denomination of a true Christian Now this excellent state can never be attained unless we first become Conquerors through Christ so as to be able to give Laws to our Lusts which are called deceitful Lusts Ephes 4.22 and deal with them as Joshuah dealt with the Gibeonites who made them hewers of Wood and drawers of Water Josh 9.21 Tho' they had deceived him but once yet our deceitful Lusts have deceived us even times and days without number and in all other Scripture-instances we find that evermore the conquered become Tributaries to the Conqueror As 1 st Those Canaanites that could not be driven out yet they did serve Israel under Tribute Josh 16.10 according to the Law of Moses Deut. 20.11 2. Thus the Tribes of Israel when they became strong did put the Canaanites to Tribute as Ephraim Judg. 1.28 and Napthali ver 33. and the Danites by the help of Joseph his Brother ver 35. 3. Thus likewise did David unto Moab after he had cast his Shoe over it c. Psal 60.8 as its Conqueror treading them under foot then the Moabites became David's Servants and they brought him Gifts 1 Chron. 18.2 And this was a prodigious Gift unto David's Successor namely an hundred thousand Lambs and an hundred thousand Rams with their Wool 2 King 3.4 The King of Moab was a great Sheep-Master and his Tribute he paid yearly was this vast number of
Lambs with all their Dams also and this vast number of Rams in such a season of the Year when their Wool was best grown upon their Backs and many more such examples of Tribute might be added Oh that we could ask our own Hearts whether our Affections have been conquered by the Lord Jesus the Stronger Man and Conqueror NB. Are all our Affections turned into Graces as the Affection of Fear into the Grace of Fear and the Affection of Love into the Grace of Love and so of the rest then our Lord hath laid his Laws upon them and they pay each of them their Tribute to Christ Oh blessed is that Soul that pays so many thousand Lambs or devout Prayers to Christ the King of Glory which must needs be numerous if both Occasional and Appointed Prayers if publick and private Prayers both in our Closets and in our Families for the space of one whole year be reckoned up all together If we do all these things then this Great King will greatly delight in our Beauty Psal 45.10.11 and give us Victory over our last Enemy Death which Christ will destroy 1 Cor. 15.26.55,56,57 CHAP. VI. Advice to the Aged for saving the Soul 'T IS the Sacred Sentence and Saying of Solomon the wisest of Men that The Hoary Head is a Crown of Glory if it be found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16.31 Which words do discover a most clear Character of a compleat Conqueror through Christ's love to us Rom. 8.37 whereby he strengthens us to a kind of Omnipotency to wit of an ability to do all things which ought to be done by us both in Active and Passive Obedience Phil. 4.13 The word Proverbs in the Hebrew is Mashalim which is derived of Mashal signifying to Command Oh that this Divine Proverb may have a commanding power and influence over all us Aged Persons so that all our Gray Hairs may become a Crown of Glory to us by their being found in the way of Righteousness This Text is a compound of two principal Parts to wit a Thesis and an Hypothesis or a Position and a Supposition The Position is first 't is positively asserted that Gray Hairs are a Crown of Glory and then the Supposition follows if it be found in the way of Righteousness There be three Enquiries here to be answered the first What is meant by that Phrase of Gray Hairs or Hoary Head to which the Answer is 1 st Gray Hairs and Hoary Hairs or Head are promiscuously taken in Scripture for one and the same thing as in Levit. 19.32 1 Kings 2.6 and 9. Isai 46.4 Gen. 42.38 and 44.29,31 Prov. 16.31 and 20.29 2 Sam. 12.2 Job 15.10 Deut. 32.25 Hos 7.9 Psal 71.18 c. Answer the 2 d is That Gray Hairs Gray Headed and Hoary Hairs or Head are all Synonymical Expressions with Old Age with all those afore-quoted Scriptures Thus the Antient of Days Dan. 7.9 and Everlasting Father Isai 9.6 is described to have Hair as white as Wool Rev. 1.14 so Levit. 19.32 There this Phrase Hoary Head is used with the Old Man for Doctus in Lege one that is learned in the Law of God The 2 d Enquiry is What is meant by the Crown of Glory Answer 1 st This signifies the highest Honour that can be conferred upon Mankind a Crown is above a Garland a Miter c. a Crowned Head is a Title of the highest of all Humane Honours and there is a great affinity in the Greek Tongue betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Old Age and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour and thus the Lord commanded that the Aged should be honoured Levit. 19.32 That Silver Crown of Hoary Hairs which the Finger of God doth set upon the Head of Aged Persons doth render them Venerable and to be Reverenced of all even in all Places and Companies where they come 'T was a caution of Restraint in Rome Cato Videt c. much more Deus Videt c. insomuch that they as it were carry an awful Majesty and Authority along with them both for suppressing of Vice and for encouraging of Vertue in their presence where too much familiarity yea and too much folly with it do not breed contempt Answer the 2 d This Crown is of the best kind of Crowns 't is not only a Crown of Silver as before or a Crown of Gold the best sort of earthly Crowns but 't is a Crown of Glory and that in a double Kingdom namely in the Kingdom of Grace here which is oft in Scripture called Heaven and also in the Kingdom of Glory hereafter So that such Aged Persons as are found to be God's Friends and Favourites as Old Abraham had that very Title given to him no fewer than three times of being God's Friend 2 Chron. 20.7 Isai 41.8 and Jam. 2.23 they shall have a double Crown of Glory first in this Life they shall have the Crown of Reverence and Veneration from all as Old Abraham was thus Crowned whom the very Heathens the Hittites most highly honoured saying to him thou art a Prince of God Hebr. or a Mighty Prince amongst us Gen. 23.6 even the Natural Conscience cannot choose but stoop to the Image of God stampted upon and shining forth in both the Persons and Actions of such as are eminent for Godliness as Abraham was and so it had been done to him before by King Abimelech and by Phicol the chief Captain of his Host Gen. 21.22,23 where they with all imaginable Reverence make their most Humble Address to Father Abraham that he might make an everlasting League with them and with their Posterity c. For both this King and his Captain as also did the Hittites all plainly see in him a behaviour that was more than ordinary to Mankind They were affraid of that Name of God even that Glorious and fearful Name put upon him and called upon by him and by all his Seed also Deut. 28.9,10,58 yea still the Sons and Daughters of Abraham even all God's People are called Princes in all Lands Psal 45.16 The Righteous are more excellent than their Neighbours Prov. 12.26 tho' they be never so great that dwell by them if they have only Greatness without Goodness The Jewish Rabins say that those Seventy Souls which went down with Jacob into Egypt were of much more worth than all the Seventy Nations whereof the whole known World consisteth Christ makes all his Saints to be Kings Rev. 1.6 and to be Conquerors also Rom. 8.37 they are his Glory Isai 4.5 2 Cor. 8.23 and therefore this Crown of Glory is given to them even in this World and if we can but become faithful unto Death then shall we have given us the Crown of Life in a better World Rev. 2.10 and we may the more have hope hereof because we are not kept by any power of our own which is no better than weakness it self Tho' David said I have kept my self from mine Iniquity Psal 18.21,23 and the born of God
not so easily pleased again 4. Another Moral Evil in the Aged is to complain of present Times but praising former Days of old which the Old Men of those Days did as much complain of as he doth of these Whereas indeed the fault lieth not in the Times either present or former but in the Persons that liveth in those Times for in every Age better Hearts and Lives would make better Times Then 2 dly After these Moral Vices do follow Spiritual Sins which are found in Old Age such as 1. Ignorance a meer Child for knowledge no Fool like to an Old Fool and therefore tho' this silly Child be an hundred Years old he is denounced by a Divine Mouth to be accursed Isai 65.20 Thus the Old Age of that silly Child Shimei who childishly plaid away his own Life could not exempt him from Justice for it was David's charge to his Son Solomon let not his Hoary Head go down to the Grave in peace 1 Kings 2.6 2. An indocible untractable Frame attends Old Age to learn the great Mysteries of Godliness as appeared in Old Nicodemus tho' a Master in Israel and could not but have read of a New Heart which God promised to give c. in the Prophet Ezekiel and in other places of the Old Testament yet how aukward was he in entertaining the Doctrine of Regeneration objecting against it First How can a Man be born again And after Christ had told him that the way of the Spirits working this work was incomprehensible c. yet comes he off again with his How can these things be John 3.4,10 This Old Man nay an Old Master in teaching work understood no more of the Mystery of the New Birth than a rude Rustick can comprehend the profoundest Points of the Mathematicks which be no better than Gibberish to him when he hears them NB. However it is no matter how dull the Scholar is when Christ himself will become the Teacher as here for this Nicodemus who had long been a Night-bird during the Life of Christ did at the last break forth as the Sun from under a Cloud to manifest his Love to his Lord after his Death John 19.39 3. To illustrate this farther Old Age is Self-conceited and cannot easily be convinced through Pride of Spirit rooted in it he is too wise to learn therefore was it that Solomon preferred a poor and wise Child before an Old and Foolish King who abhors to be admonished Eccles 4.13,14 for the Young Child is apt to learn and ready to receive Instruction and will be as careful to follow it and all this is true Wisdom Whereas an Old and Foolish King is not only weak but also wilful and his Pride is the ground of his Wilfulness as he is short-sighted in his Mind so he is stubborn and unconvincible in his Will There have been such Kings in the World who in their Old Age have shewed themselves so self-willed and so wedded to their own vain Opinions that they never endured to ask Advice and if any were given them what they fancied not they assuredly rejected it though they sometimes yea very seldom ask Counsel yet never follow any but their own until they ruin themselves and their People 4. As the Three former brings Ruine c. to the Bodies not only of Old and Foolish Kings but also of Old and Foolish Subjects who do harden their Hearts against all good Counsel yea and that which is worst of all these Three afore-named bring destruction to their Souls likewise by their living and dying in that great sin of Unbelief and final Impenitency which their custom in sin taking away all conscience of sin doth at last seal them up in where the superabounding Grace of God doth not interpose to disappoint it This refractory and untoward untractable Temper of abhorring to be taught hath been a long time observed universally to accompany Old Age insomuch that this was the first ground of that Old Greek Adage 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Senum Doctor a Teacher of Old Persons by which Phrase the Wisdom of the Ancients used to express any labour in vain like those other Phrases Aethiopem lavare to wash a Blackmore white which Phrase is used in Scripture Jer. 13.23 And to the same purpose is that Adage used by Pagan Authors Sysiphi saxum voluere a Poetical Fiction that this Sysiphus was doomed unto as a punishment for his former Faults that he was to roll an heavy Stone up the Hill which then did run down again of it self with its own weight and when it came to the bottom his work was to roll it up again yea and that which was the Mischief and Misery of this Man in this Work it must be his only and continual Task for all his time c. All these Adages do demonstrate the unteachableness of Old Age and that if we do not through the Grace of God remember our Creator in the days of our Youth while that tractable Temper continueth with us but still drive it off until Old then become we so slow so oblivious and so setled upon the Lees c. insomuch that the Ministry of the Word that they sit under is labour in vain to such and Christ's Ministers may complain with the Prophet as to such as hate to be reformed and are incorrigible I have laboured in vain and I have spent my strength for naught and in vain Isai 49.4 NB. Note well how besotted and even bewitched are such Persons to make that the Task of their Old Age which ought to be the Trade of our whole Life and to settle their everlasting and surest making or marring upon so sandy and sinking a Foundation as Old Age is well called an Evil Age for Reasons aforesaid Now the next and Second Point to be discoursed upon is How this Evil Old Age may become a Good Old Age as was Abrahams Gen. 25.8 and Isaac's Gen. 35.29 and Davids 1 Chron. 29.28 hic labor hoc opus est this is an high and an hard undertaking for the accomplishment whereof let this be the method As 1 st The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it may be so seeing the Evil Old Age which is so in it self and by decays of Nature hath been made a good Old Age by the power of Grace as in those three aforenamed 2 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Reasons why it ought to be made so because our eternal Weal or Woe hangs upon it And 3 dly The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the means whereby this marvelous change from Evil to good may be wrought First of the 1 st That it may be so 't is clear not only from the many Examples of Holy Men and Women upon Record in both the Old and New Testament who all lived holily to a good Old Age and died happily at the last and the Scripture gives this honourable Character concerning Mnason that he was an Old Disciple of Christ Acts 21.16 And the Ancient
it is indeed a Terror to Kings too the Philosopher calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most formidable of Formidables and Nature in the best doth find it frightful enough yet our Lord saith I will not leave you Comfortless John 14.18 The First Comfort against the Fear of Death and that our Lord hath left us for our Relief is 1 Cor. 15.55 that Christ hath unstinged that Serpent and that now his Redeemed may triumph over it Moses first fled from the Serpent but being better informed he took it by the Tail and then it became an Useful Rod in his Hand Exod. 4.3,4 Thus Israel at first fled from Goliah as affrighted with the sight of such a Monster of Mankind but so soon as they understood that David had slain him and laid him along without his Head upon the ground then did they run as fast to him to trample upon him c. as they had before run away from him sore affrighted 1 Sam. 17.24,52 So could we but believe that Christ our Lord David had swallowed up Death in Victory as we are assured Isai 25.8 and that Christ's Death is the Death of Death Hos 13.14 then might we sing a Triumphant Song with the Apostle over both Death and the Grave c. A Second Breast of Comfort against the Fear of Death is that precious Promise of God Thou shalt not be afraid when Destruction or Death cometh Job 5.21 and thus God said to Old Jacob fear not to go down to Egypt for I will be with thee and I will bring thee back again c. Gen. 46.3,4 Accordingly our Saviour saith to his sanctified ones Isai 13.3 Fear not to go down among the Dead which is a going the way of all the Earth Josh 23.14 for I will go down with thee and I will assuredly also bring thee back again as one of my Children of the Resurrection Luke 20.36 as if he had said I will bring you without failure from the Jaws of Death to the Joys of Heaven as surely as Ezra and Nehemiah brought all the Captive Jews out of the Captivity of Babylon and we must consider for our Comfort that Death seizeth upon the Body only which we derive from the First Adam as Joseph's Mistress seized only upon Joseph's Garment his Person escaped so the pretious Soul is returned to God that gave it Eccles 12.7 A Third Breast of Consolation for Saints to suck against the Fear of Death is the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14.32 Death to a Believer is as the Vally of Achor Josh 7.24,27 Israel's entrance into the Land of Promise a Door of Hope Hos 2.15 into the Heavenly Canaan there to sing Hallelujah's to the Lord for ever Death indeed to Sinners is but a Trap-door that drops them down into Hell Psal 9.17 When that Grim-Sergeant Arrests them by God's Permission and Commission in the Devil's Name and hurls them into an Infinite Ocean of Hell-fire Oh what Dreadful Skreaks doth that Guilty Soul give when it is hurried away and hurled into Everlasting Burnings Isai 33.14 and to swim naked as i◠Scalding Lead and Liquor for evermore But blessed be God 't is better with the Saints whose Debts are all paid by their Dear Redeemer they are not afraid of the Arrest of Death but looks upon it as God's Officer sent to give them possession of a Mansion of Glory and therefore their Hearts are not troubled when their Lord sends for them to be ever with him in Heavenly Happiness John 14.1,2,3,4 and 16.7 and 1 Thes 4.17.18 Oh how willing was Old Jacob to go down into Egypt when it was only to see his younger Son Joseph whom he had not seen for many years c. How much more willing yea desirous ought we to be to go up to Heaven a far better place than Egypt there to see our Elder Brother Jesus Christ How glad were those Three Wise Men of the East to take a long Journey when it was only to see the Babe of Bethlehem Christ in the Cradle c Now if we can but say as those Wise Men said We have seen his Star c. Matth. 2.2,11 how much more ought we to long for this Journey c. that we may behold our Lord Christ advanced upon the Throne of his Glory and to behold his Face in Righteousness Psal 17.15 c. which is a Beatifical Vision a Sight far exceeding those Three Romam in Flore Paulum in Ore Christum in Carne which Father Augustin so earnestly wished to see namely Rome in its Glory Paul in the Pulpit and Christ in the Flesh Alas all those Sights are infinitely below the beholding him in his Glory 1 John 3.2 It was a good Prayer of the same Augustin saying Lord can no Man see thy Face and live O then let me die that I may see it c. A Fourth Cordial against the Fear of Death is Better is the day of our Death than the day of our Birth Eccles 7.12 'T is better every way For 1. Our Birth begins our Miseries but our Death ends them if we die in the Lord we are blessed Rev. 14.13 Whereas Man born of a Woman is born to trouble c. Job 14.1 Yea miserable so soon as warm in the Womb at Conception Psal 51.5 Birth is our entrance into this lower present Evil World Gal. 1.4 but Death in Christ is our entrance into the best and blessed World 2. We come crying into this World c. but some Saints have gone singing and triumphing out of it into a better World hoping that their Death was but the Day-break of Eternal Brightness c. A Fifth Cordial is that Death cannot separate us from the Love of God Rom. 8.28 'T is so far from destroying the Union that it is called a sleeping in Jesus 1 Thes 4.14 And as by sleep the frame of the Body is refreshed so by Death the Union of the Soul is refined Now when we are wearied with our days Labour we are not afraid to go take our rest When Lazarus died our Lord said our Friend Lazarus sleepeth John 11.11 and he said the same of Jairus's Daughter Matth. 9.24 and this is the frequent Phrase in Scripture to call Death a Sleep Job 7.21 2 Sam. 7.12 1 Cor. 11.30 Now as Sleep doth not separate Friends but only for a time betwixt good Night and good Morrow so no more doth Death which is but a bidding good Night for after sleeping in the Grave as in a Bed Isai 57.2 the Morning comes to rise again The Sixth Cordial is 2 Cor. 5.1,2,3 to 9. We know 't is not we think or we hope only this is the true Triumph of our Trusting in Christ our leaning upon the Lord Isai 50.10 that when our Clayie Cottages moulder down we have a Mansion of Glory to go to While we abide in those tottering Tabernacles we groan earnestly being Burdened ver 2.4 that is both with Sin and Misery whereof we have here our